Labour Court dismisses firefighter’s appeal over public holiday pay

The Labour Court dismissed Lyle Smith’s appeal against Waterford City & County Council over the calculation of his public holiday pay. In its decision dated 25 January 2023, the Court found the complaint was not well founded and affirmed the adjudication officer’s decision. Smith, a full-time firefighter, argued that his public holiday pay should include overtime and shift-related allowances. The Council said overtime and allowances that varied with the work performed were excluded from the calculation. The Court found that overtime was excluded under the regulations and that the allowances varied according to the shifts Smith worked, so they were not covered. The appeal failed.